1. Technical Field
The present disclosure is directed to a device for use in forming quilted designs on fabric and, more particularly, to a tool for use with sewing and quilting machines in generating lines of stitching, particularly for guiding a sewing machine in a pattern such as a circle or an arc.
2. Description of the Related Art
Quilting as both a technique and an art form has developed over the millennia from hand stitching to modern machine sewing. While stitching has the utilitarian function of holding layers and segments of cloth together, it also provides a means of artistic expression through ornate designs along with fabric color and texture selection.
Machines for sewing quilts have been used since the 1800s. Adaptations over the years have resulted in the development of the longarm sewing machine, which has a longer reach and greater mobility than typical sewing machines.
The longarm sewing machine includes a large sewing head with a hopping foot extending downward to contact the fabric. The head is mounted for movement along a frame. Handles on the sewing head allow the operator to guide the hopping foot by hand across the fabric to create a stitching pattern. Some machines can be mounted on frames and robotically controlled, i.e., a computer controls movement of a carriage. More sophisticated (and expensive) machines utilize computers that is integral to the longarm machine itself and is configured to control functions such as pattern placement, stitching coordinates, size, and stitch length.
Tools have been developed to assist operators in manually guiding the sewing head. One example is a tool formed of an elongate bar or flat piece of rigid material that has handles attached at both ends. A centrally disposed slot is formed transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tool and is sized and shaped to accommodate the hopping foot. This “mini-handle” tool enables an operator to manually maneuver the sewing head across the fabric surface to create a desired stitching pattern.
As with other manual methods of guiding the sewing head, it is subject to operator error. When a pattern is applied to the fabric, the manual guiding method may require the operator to stand behind the machine and carefully guide the sewing head to trace or follow a preprinted or embossed pattern. As the operator must look at the pattern being traced and not at the actual stitching, broken or bunched thread, puckering, folds, misalignment, uneven stitching and other problems can go unnoticed. Alternatively, a freehand approach to creating a pattern while standing in front of the machine can be very difficult to execute when symmetry or repeated patterns are desired. In either case an error can be difficult to undo and, if left in the fabric, will result in an unsightly appearance. For example, many noted patterns utilize a series of concentric circles or arcs. Manually following a tracing of the circles or arcs from behind the machine requires the operator to repeatedly stop the machine and make visual contact with the hopping foot and the stitching line, resulting in frequent stopping and starting of the machine as the operator moves around to maintain a line of sight.
Hence, there is a need for a device that can assist the operator in moving the hopping foot in the desired pattern across fabric or other material when the sewing machine head is manually positionable with the work area completely visible and accessible.